The 12-month total of $8.4 billion in such exports is up 31 percent from a year earlier.

With every $1 billion in exports, 25,000 new jobs are created.

The net effect is to cost American companies some $9 billion a year in lost exports.

Only strong growth in exports kept the economy expanding at all.

As foreign trade goes, the loss of $130 million a year in exports is a minor matter.

"I wouldn't read too much into the size of the decline in exports."

It was not really part of a surge in American exports.

It accounted for about $1.4 billion in exports last year.

For every $1 billion in exports about 15,000 port jobs are created.

Over all, the industry generates $60 billion a year in exports.